Leverett arthur sanford



(No Model.)

L. A SANFORD.

BIGYGLE BELL.

No. 578,268. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

STATES LEVERETT ZATENT FFICE" ARTHUR SANFORD, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR OF BICYCLE-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,268, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed August 3, 1896. Serial No.6OL410. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LEVERETT ARTHUR SAN- FORD, of Bristol, in the countyof Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inBells; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference markedthereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, andwhich said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a View in vertical section of a bell constructed in accordancewith my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with the gong removed;Fig. 3, a reverse plan view thereof with the strap of the clip partiallybroken away; Fig. 4, a detached plan view of the op--' crating-lever ofthe device.

My invention relates to an improvement in bicycle-bells, the objectbeing to provide at a comparatively low cost a double-stroke bellcomposed of few parts, durable, not liable to derangement, and producinga clear ringing alarm.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a bicycle-bell havingcertain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown I employ a gong A, whichmay be of any suitable construction and which is furnished with acentral inwardly-projecting in ternally-threaded hub A, adapting it tobe applied to the threaded upper end of a bent gong-post B, the lowerend of which is rigidly secured to the center of the cup-like base C ofthe bell, the said post being of any approved construction. As thusconstructed and arranged the gong is concentric with the cup-like basenotwithstanding the use of a bent gong-post. The gong is struck forsounding it by means of a rebounding striker D, which, as shown, isdisk-shaped in form and has an enlarged central aperture D, whichreceives a pivot or stud E, secured to the free inner end of a vibratingor oscillating arm or carrier F, the outer end of which is hung so as toswing upon a fixed stud G, located within the base C aforesaid, near theedge thereof. The striker and the free inner end of the striker-armswing into the bend of the gongpost, which by being bent permits me toemploy a larger striker and a longer striker-arm than I could otherwisedo. The striker, it may be noted, hits the gong at'points thereon onopposite sides of the pivot or stud G. The outer end of the said arm hasrigidly connected with its under face a small pinion H, the teeth ofwhich are taken into by a few teeth formed upon the inner end of a flatopcrating-lever I, the outer end of which is formed into a finger-pieceI, which projects through a transverse opening C, formed in the base C.The said lever is hung upon a lever-stud I mounted in the base just inrear of the gong-post B. The said lever is constructed with a longwedge-shaped clearance-slot 1 through which the gong-post passes andwhich is wide enough to permit the lever to be swung back and forth onits pivot. A short spiral spring J, attached to the lever by means of apin J and connected with the base C by means of a pin J is provided forreturning the lever to its normal position after it has been swungagainst its tension by the rider, who applies his fingers to thefinger-piece I for the purpose of operating the lever. A friction-springK, secured to the striker-pivot E and bearing upon the upper face of thestriker, prevents the same from shifting and rebounding too easily. Abuffer L, formed of a thin piece of leather or rubber, is interposedbetween the lever I and the gong-post B, as shown in Fig. 2, so that thebell will not rattle, the lever being held against the buffer by meansof the spring J. In the normal position of the lever and striker-arm thestriker is held out of engagement with the gong, so that the same willnot he accidentally sounded. On the return or spring-actuated stroke ofthe lever the striker is only enabled to hit the gong by the slightcompression of the rubber buffer L, which under the force of the returnmovement of the lever yields just enough to let the striker hit the gongand sound the same. The leather washer M, secured to the upper end ofthe stud G by means of a nut M, prevents the striker-arm from rattlingas it is thrown back and forth; but the use of this washer is optional.

The clip employed with my improved bell may be of any suitableconstruction. As herein shown, it consists of a heavy angularly-bentsheet-metal frame-piece N, rigidly secured to the bottom of the base bybeing riveted to the lower end of the gong-post, which is thus securedto the base. The said frame-piece N is formed with a finger N and withtwo pairs of arms N N N N To the said finger N is attached, by means ofa screw 0, a flexible strap P, the outer end of which has alongitudinally-arranged series of perforations 1), adapting the strap tobe engaged with a pin Q, mounted in the frame-piece N between the arms Nthereof, the said arms N being connected by a transversely-an rangedretaining wire 19, which holds the strap in position to maintain itsengagement with the pin. The arms N N receive the end of the strapbetween them and hold it against lateral displacement. By shifting theend of the strap with reference to the said pin the strap may be let upor taken out, so as to fit handle-bars of any ordinary size; but, asbefore stated, my invention is not limited to any one form of clip.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exactconstructions herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty tomake such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a bell, the combination with acuplike base, of a gong arranged concentrically therewith, a bentgong-post having the gong secured to its outer end, and havingits innerend secu red to the center of the cup-like base, a rebounding striker, acarrier therefor having its free or inner end extended inward so as toswing in the bend of thebent gong-post,

a pinion connected with the outer end of the said carrier, anoperating-lever having a clearan ce-space through which the post passes,constructed at its inner end with teeth for engagement with the saidpinion, whereby the carrier is oscillated, and constructed at its outerend with a finger-piece which extends through the said base, and aspring connected with the lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bell, the combination with a cup like base, of a gong arrangedconcentrically therewith, a bent gong-post passed through the center ofthe cup-like base, a striker, mechanism for swinging the same throughthe bend of the bent gong-post, and a clip secured to the lower end ofthe gong-post which is for that purpose extended through the under faceof the base, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bicycle-bell, the combination with a base and a gong, of astriker and means for operating the same, and a clip composed of anangularly-bent sheet-metal frame-piece rigidly secured by means of itscentral portion to the lower face of the base, having two pairs of armsinclined with respect toeach other, having a finger projecting beyondone pair of arms, a transversely-arranged retainingwire connecting theother pair of arms, and a pin, the said clip also comprising a straphaving one end secured to the finger of the frame-piece, and itsopposite end formed with a series of perforations and introduced intothe frame-piece under the retaining-wire in position to have its freeend engaged with the said pin which enters one of the said perforations.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LEVERETT Alt'lllUR SAN FORD.

\Vitnesses:

E. S. FIsH, R. A. SANFORD.

